Dress-form.



F. J. MADELL.

DRESS FORM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1912.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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f INVENTOR w ATTORNEYS WITNESSES. 7%4 Q W m F. J. MADELL.

DRESS FORM.

APPLICATION rum) JUNE 20, 1912.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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Fly 7 INVENTUR (WQA W424 7 ATTORNEYS WITNESSES: 7 4 W FREDERICK JOHN MADELL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

DRESS-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 20, 1912.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Serial No. 704,721.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICKJOHN lVlA- DELL, a subject of the King of England, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dress- Forms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved dress form of the adjustable type in which a pliable or elastic exterior is manijnllattal and then secured in position by mechanical elements.

The invention relates more particularly to certain details of construction disposed in the structure, these details permitting the form to be more easily operated and also causing a marked reduction in the cost of manufacture.

The invention relates to means for shitting and holding certain contour elements in adjusted positions, these means being simple in operation, but positive in their functions and reducing the number of parts to a minimum.

The invention further consists in part of a band which encircles the contour elements, the clamp of the band which holds it in position being so formed that it is a positive grip, but it is also adapted to insure its being clamped, because when it is not in its clamping position it projects to interfere with the fitting of a garment over the form.

The invention is adapted for use more particularly on dress forms of the type shown in United States Letters Patent, No. 9912M, granted May 2, 1911.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a dress form showing the contour elements and the adjusting and holding devices. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the adjusting and holding devices. Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and are a top and front view, respectively, of a clamp for binding the ends of a band encircling the contour element-s. G is a perspective view of the mounting of the adjusting and holding devices when applied to a narrow portion of the form as at the neck. Figs. 7 and 8 are details of the bottom plate shown in Fig. (3 and illustrating the manner of attaching it to the central post.

The dress :lorm is given its form by a series of contour elements, usually wire 10, which are secured at their ends'in a suitable manner and which are elastic so that they hold their form when they are clamped in position. The wires are held at points in their length by clips 11. which are slidably arranged on the wires, the clips being held in turn by a band 12 to be described herein a'lter. lVithin the contour wires and mounted on a central supporting post 13 is a plate 1+ having a hole 15 through which the post 13 passes. Around the edge oi. the plate and out of line with the post 13 are cars 16 bent up from the plate and of a number equal to the number of adjl'lsting and holding rods that are to be used. In the drawings I show tt'our. Two are bent upward and two are bent downward so that the rods will not cross. In line with the ears 1% are bent up the wings 17. The wings are shorter than the ca rs and are provided with perfm'ations 18 in line with perforations 1t.) in the cars 16. l lxtending from each perforation 19 in each car 16 is a slot 20. Rods 21 are arranged in each set of alined perforations 18 and if), these rods projecting from the plate Il-iland each being connected to a clip 11.. The rods are slidable and are turned up on their inner ends to form posts to Which are hinged the locking strips 28. The locking strips pass through the slots 20 and have notches 24-v which engage the outer edges of the slots 20 to lock the strips and rods at predetermined points. The clips 11. which are riveted to the outer ends of the rods 21 are slittcd as at 25 to allow the locking strip to swing on its pivotal connection 26 to release the notches 9 1- from the car 16. Each locking strip 23 is held in normal locked position by a spring 27 held to the plate 14; by a struck up bridge 28 under which the spring 27 can he slid, but in which it fits tight.

It will be understood that when one of the locking strips 23 is depressed by its linger-piece 2t), its notches are released "from the car 16, and the locking strip is free to be slid in or out, as desired, to 'ary the diameter of the dress Form. The number of parts in this device has been reduced to a mininuun and the operatimi thcreol is easy and positive. In Fig. 2 only one rod and locking plate are shown, but it will be understood that the plate provides for four.

The band 12 encircles the clips 11, one end of the band being riveted to the face of the clip 11 at one end thereof as at (Fig. 4). The flanges 31 at the top and bottom of the clip hold the free end 32 of the band in its place and also provide bearings for the pivot 33 of the latch 34, which latch is made of one piece and embodies a nose 35 which is on one side of the spread portion 36 which forms an eye for the pin 33. The latch is then bent into a V-shaped portion 37 which, with the nose, bears on the band 12 and clamps it in place when the latch is swung closed. The handle 38 extends transversely from the V-shaped portion and provides a means for operating the latch, but also has another function. This is that the handle projects as in the dotted lines in Fig. 4 when it is unlatched, and this projection interferes with the fitting of a garment over the form and insures the clamp being left open so that the band can shift. The band is used to give a protuberance, if desired, at any one point if a deformity of the person is to be reproduced in the form. The rivets 30 and 39 have their heads on each side of the latch 34 and cooperate with the nose in giving a bend to the metallic band 12 and assist in preventing its slipping in the clamp. This is evident from Fig. 4.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of supporting plate of narrower construction which is adapted for use on a narrow portion of the form, as between the shoulders, and consists of a plate 40 with a hole 41 through which the post 13 projects. On the plate are raised loops 42 through which and the post 13, a pin 43 can be slid to fasten the plate against vertical movement. The plate 40 has a frame 44 thereon, which fran'ie is provided with side walls 45 and a top 46. The side walls have, on opposite sides of opposite ends, the ears 47 and the wings 48 which are similar in their uses to the wings 17 and the ears 16 of the construction shown and described in the previous construction. The ears 47 are perforated as at 49 and slitted as at 50, the wings being perforated at 51 in line with the perforations 49. The same rods 21 and locking strips 23 are to be used in this frame. The bridges 52 struck up from the sides of the frame 44 act to hold the springs 27, as will be evident.

The construction of form herein set forth is simpler, more positive, more economical to make, and gives no chance for using the form until it is thoroughly clamped in its adjusted position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a dress form comprising contour elements and a central support, a plate secured to the central support, ears struck up at the edges of the plate, the ears being perforated and slotted, wings struck up from the plate and having each a perforation in line with the perforation of an ear, rods passing through the perforations, each rod having its inner end bent to form apost, a locking strip pivoted to each post and extending through the slot of an ear and adapted to movetherein, each locking strip having notches to engage the edge of the slot of its ear, clips on the ends of the rods to engage the contour elements, a bridge struck up from the plate, and a spring seated in the bridge and bearing on the locking strip at an angle thereto to hold its notched edge in engagement with the end of a slot and permit the free sliding of the locking strip.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of June, 1912.

FREDERICK JOHN MADELL.

Witnesses WM. H. CAMFIELD,

M. A. JOHNSON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

